Strong Humanist Giving results for Q1 2013

By AJ Chalom, Humanist Giving Program Coordinator

Q1 2013 introduced Foundation Beyond Belief members to a very strong slate of beneficiaries. We launched a 2013–2014 initiative to have an Encore Beneficiary in each giving category over the next five quarters. Our first Encore for 2013 was our Challenge the Gap beneficiary, Buddhist Global Relief.

Our Q1 beneficiaries help middle-class families keep from falling into poverty, designed a model education system for girls and boys in Pakistan, teach men how to combat rape culture in our society, assist environmental organizations and researchers with aerial research support, and feed and educate the poor around the world. Our Small Grant beneficiaries strive to provide educational opportunities in impoverished communities in the United States.

Modest Needs Foundation inched out The Citizens Foundation USA for the largest grant this quarter. Modest Needs has already informed us that they can probably help keep 10 families from falling into poverty with these funds.

	Poverty & Health: Modest Needs Foundation	$8,740
	Education: The Citizens Foundation USA	$8,710
	Human Rights: Men Can Stop Rape	$8,595
	The Natural World: LightHawk	$7,760
	Challenge the Gap Encore: Buddhist Global Relief	$7,550
	Small Grant: Science Cubed Initiative of Black Atheists of America	$1,500
	Small Grant: First in the Family Scholarship Fund of Black Skeptics of LA	$1,000
	Humanist Giving Total:	$43,855

This giving represents an increase of 12% over grants to our Humanist Giving Beneficiaries in Q4 2012. During the last quarter, we saw one beneficiary receive a grant of more than $8,000 (a first for FBB). This quarter, we awarded three of our beneficiaries with grants of more than $8,000.

Every new member just increases the value of our combined donations and the impact we humanists can make in the philanthropic community.

We would also like to thank our members for the voluntary support of FBB itself in their donation allocations, totaling $4,915 during Q1. These donations help us keep the wheels turning at FBB.

Each quarter is unique, and Q2 2013 offers a new slate of fantastic beneficiaries, including the launch of our new program, Pathfinders Project. If you think Pathfinders Project is worth supporting, please donate to our Pathfinders fund drive.